The invention relates generally to light emitting devices and more particularly to a phosphor light emitting diode.
Light emitting devices (LEDs) including light emitting diodes, are well-known solid state devices that can generate light having a peak wavelength in a specific region of the light spectrum. LEDs are typically used as illuminators, indicators and displays. Traditionally, the most efficient LEDs emit light having a peak wavelength in the red region of the light spectrum, i.e., red light. However, a type of LED based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) has recently been developed that can efficiently emit light having a peak wavelength in the blue region of the spectrum, i.e., blue light. This new type of LED can provide significantly brighter output light than traditional LEDs.
In addition, since blue light has a shorter wavelength than red light, the blue light generated by the GaN-based LEDs can be readily converted to produce light having a longer wavelength. It is well known in the art that light having a first peak wavelength (the xe2x80x9cprimary lightxe2x80x9d) can be converted into light having a longer peak wavelength (the xe2x80x9csecondary lightxe2x80x9d) using a process known as fluorescence. The fluorescent process involves absorbing the primary light by a photoluminescent phosphor material, which excites the atoms of the phosphor material, and emits the secondary light. The peak wavelength of the secondary light will depend on the phosphor material. The type of phosphor material can be chosen to yield secondary light having a particular peak wavelength. An LED that utilizes the fluorescent process will be defined herein as a xe2x80x9cphosphor LED.xe2x80x9d
With reference to FIG. 1, a prior art phosphor LED 10 is shown. The LED 10 includes a GaN die 12 that generates blue primary light when activated. The GaN die 12 is positioned on a reflector cup lead frame 14 and is electrically coupled to leads 16 and 18. The leads 16 and 18 conduct electrical power to the GaN die 12. The GaN die 12 is covered by a layer 20 that includes fluorescent material 22. The type of fluorescent material utilized to form the layer 20 can vary, depending upon the desired spectral distribution of the secondary light that will be generated by the fluorescent material 22.
The GaN die 12 and the fluorescent layer 20 are encapsulated by a lens 24. The lens 24 is usually made of a transparent epoxy.
In operation, electrical power is supplied to the GaN die 12 to activate the GaN die. When activated, the GaN die 12 emits the primary light, i.e., blue light, away from the top surface of the GaN die 12. A portion of the emitted primary light is absorbed by the fluorescent material 22 in the layer 20. The fluorescent material 22 then emits secondary light, i.e., the converted light having a longer peak wavelength, in response to absorption of the primary light. The remaining unabsorbed portion of the emitted primary light is transmitted through the fluorescent layer 38, along with the secondary light. The lens 24 directs the unabsorbed primary light and the secondary light in a general direction indicated by arrow 26 as output light. Thus, the output light is a composite light that is composed of the primary light emitted from the GaN die 12 and the secondary light emitted from the fluorescent layer 20.
The output light may have a spectral distribution such that it appears to be xe2x80x9cwhitexe2x80x9d light. The color composite of the output light will vary depending upon the spectral distributions and intensities of the secondary light and the primary light.
PCT Application No. PCT/JP97/02610 by Shimizu et al. describes various phosphor LEDs that generate white output light having a color temperature somewhere between 5,000 to 6,000 degrees Kelvin. The LEDs of Shimizu et al. are schematically identical to the LED 10 of FIG. 1. In one embodiment, the LED of Shimizu et al. utilizes Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) phosphor to convert some of the primary light into secondary light having a peak wavelength of about 580 nm. The spectral distribution 28 of the output light from the Shimizu et al. LED is shown in FIG. 2. The spectral distribution 28 has two peaks 30 and 32. The peak 30 is predominately caused by the primary light emitted from the GaN die of the Shimizu et al. LED. The peak 32 is predominately caused by the secondary light emitted from the YAG phosphor.
A concern with the Shimizu et al. LED is that the xe2x80x9cwhitexe2x80x9d output light has an undesirable color balance for a true color rendition. The output light of the Shimizu et al. LED is adequate for applications in which simple illumination is required. However, for applications in which a high color rendition is desired, the output light is deficient in the red region of the visible light spectrum (647-700 nm range). When used for such applications, the red deficiency in the output light causes illuminated red objects to appear less intense in color than they would under a white light having a well-balanced color characteristic. In particular, when used as a backlight for color liquid crystal displays (LCD), the output light of the Shimizu et al. LED causes red colors to be weakly displayed on the LCD. A separate red light source may have to be used in conjunction with the Shimizu et al. LED to compensate for the red deficiency of the output light generated by the Shimizu et al. LED, adding complexity to the system embodying the Shimizu et al. LED.
What is needed is a phosphor LED that can generate white output light having a well-balanced color characteristic for a true color rendition.
In accordance with embodiments of the invention, a light emitting device includes a light source that emits first light in response to an electrical signal, and a fluorescent layer positioned over the light source. The fluorescent layer includes a first fluorescent material which radiates second light and a second fluorescent material which radiates third light. In one embodiment, the second fluorescent material contains europium activated calcium sulfide. In another embodiment, the second fluorescent material contains europium activated nitrido-silicate. In some embodiments, the device includes a light propagation medium which transmits the first, second, and third light as composite output.